Folding pontoon trailer boat



y 1965 H. w. FIEBELKORN 3,193,851

FOLDING PONTOON TRAILER BOAT Filed Dec. 4, less 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Harold W Fiebe/kam 1 N VE N TOR.

July 13, 1965 H. w. FIEBELKORN FOLDING PONTOON TRAILER BOAT 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 4, 1963 Fig.2

Fig.5

Harold W Fiebe/kom INVENTOR. 4015'. BY flu M /mg,

July 13, 1965 H. w. FIEBELKORN FOLDING PONTOON TRAILER BOAT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 4, 1963 Harold W Flebe/korn I N VEN TOR.

United States Patent 3,193,351 FQLDENG PGNTOGN TRAELER BEAT Harold W. l iebelkorn, S hellshurg, lowa, assignor of one 'third to Donald Fiehelkorn, Shellshurg, Iowa Filed Dec. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 328,095 11 Claims. (til. 9--l) This invention relates to a novel and useful folding pontoon trailer boat and more specifically to a pontoon trailer boat of the type including a main center deck section and a pair of longitudinally extending pontoons pivotally secured to the main deck section for rotation about axes extending longitudinally of the opposite longitudinal side edge portions of the main deck section. The pontoons are mounted for pivotal movement between extended positions disposed outwardly of the opposite sides of the deck section and retracted positions swung down and under the opposite marginal edge portions of the main deck section. In this manner, a catamaran having a relatively wide beam when in the water may be readily trailed behind a towing vehicle without exceeding maximum width limitations.

The catamaran of the instant invention includes a pair of wheel assemblies which are supported from the pontoons thereof and which, when the pontoons are swung to the retracted positions underlying the opposite marginal edge portions of the main deck section, are journalled for rotation about generally horizontally disposed axes extending transversely of the catamaran with the lower portions of the wheels projecting downwardly below the lowermost portions of the catamaran. In this manner, the catamaran may be readily trailed behind a draft vehicle and the supporting wheel assrnblies thereof will be automatically swung from a raised inoperative position to a lowered operative position during pivotal movement of the pontoons from their extended operative positions to their lowered inoperative positions.

The main object of this invention is to provide a collapsible catamaran constructed in a manner whereby its relatively great beam may be substantially reduced for the purpose of trailing the catamaran over a highway.

A further object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide a catamaran having a main deck section with a pair of elongated pontoons pivotally secured thereto along longitudinal axes disposed at opposite sides of the main deck section.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simplifled actuating mechanism which may be operated from the main deck section of the catamaran and utilized to positively swing the pivoted pontoons between the extended and retracted positions as desired.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a collapsible catamaran including foldable railing sections which, when the pontoons are in their outer extended positions, form a railing extending about the outer marinal edge portions of the catamaran.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a collapsible catamaran in accordance with the preceding objects and including a retractible trailer tongue which is mounted for movement between a rearwardly and upwardly disposed retracted position and a forwardly and downwardly disposed operative position.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a collapsible catamaran in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter 'ice described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the folding pontoon trailer boat of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the pontoon trailer boat shown with portions thereof broken away and in vertical transverse section;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view similar to that of FIGURE 2 but shown with the pontoons thereof folded in inner positions;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line d5 of FlGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the pontoons of the trailer boat shown with the foldable railings thereof in folded positions and the pontoon in an upper extended position;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sec tional view taken substantially upon a plane passing through the longitudinal centerline of the trailer boat construction and with portions thereof being broken away and an alternate position of the trailer tongue shown in phantom lines;

FEGURE 8 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the forward portion of the trailer boat shown with the trailer tongue in an extended position;

FIGURE 9 is a detailed exploded perspective view of the pivotal mounting connection of a portion of the foldable railing assembly; and

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of the upright support frame carried by the forward section of the main deck section and utilized to support the actuating means for raising and lowering the pontoons.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral ltl generally designates the collapsible catamaran or pontoon boat of the instant invention. The catamaran It) includes a main deck section 12 and a pair of generally parallel pontoons 1d and 16.

With attention now invited more specifically to FIG- URES 13 of the drawing it will be seen that the opposite side longitudinal edge portions of the main deck section 12 are provided with a plurality of aportured mounting lugs 18 which coact with the pivot pins 20 and the apertured mounting lugs 22 carried by the pontoons 14 and 16 to pivotally secure the latter to the opposite side longitudinal edge portions of the main deck section 12. It may be seen from a comparison of FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawings that the pontoons l4 and 16 may be swung from outer upright positions such as those illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings to folded inner po sitions such as those illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings and with the pontoons 14 and 16 disposed directly beneath the opposite side marginal edge portions of the main deck section 12.

Each of the pontoons 14 and 16 includes arm means generally referred to by the reference numeral 26 and defined by the top plate 2% thereof which includes an extension 36 that overlies the adjacent portion of the main deck section 12 when the pontoons 14 and 16 are in their outer upright positions. Each of the arm means 26 further includes an arm element 32 which is secured to the corresponding top plate 28 in any convenient manner such as by welding 34. The arm elements 32 extend beyond the free edge portions of the extensions 30 and are provided with eyes 34.

An upstanding support frame generally referred to by the reference numeral 36 and including a main planar section 38 is secured to the forward portion of the main deck section 12. The support frame 36 includes a pairof rearwardly and downwardly inclined braces 46 whose lower ends are also secured to the main deck section 12. A winding drum 42 is journalled from the center 'of the upper portion of the support frame 36 and has a gear wheel 44 mounted for rotation therewith. A pair of spring-urged manually-releasable detent assemblies 46 are secured to the support frame 36 and include locking dogs 48 which are engageable with the gear wheel 44 to retain the winding drum 42 in adjusted rotated positions. a

The winding drum 42 is mounted upon a sleeve which is journaled through the support frame 36 by means of a bearing assembly 52. A handwheel 54 is mounted on ,the end of thesleeve 50 remote from the windingdrum 42 and may be rotated in order to effect rotation of the winding drum 42.

The support frame 36 rotatably supports a pair of pulleys 56 and 58 and a second pair of pulleys 6t and 62 are rotatably journaled from the main deck section 12. An elongated pull member has several convolutions thereof disposed about the winding drum 42 and has one end passed about the pulley 56, through the adjacent eye 34, about the pulley 60, about the pulley 58, through the eye 34 adjacent the pulley 58, and then about the pulley 62 before returning to the winding drum or member '42. The elongated tension member 64 may be of any suitable type and it is to be noted that it is secured to the eyes 34 in order that rotation of the winding drum 42 will effect swinging movement of the arm elements 32 in order to effect pivotal movement of the pontoons 16' and 18 between the positions illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawings as desired.

Each of the pontoon assemblies 14 and 16 includes a Well 68 in which a corresponding wheel assembly 70 is mounted and it will be noted that each of the wheel assemblies includes a wheel 72 which is journaled for rotation about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the collapsible catamaran 10 when the pontoons 14.

and 16 are in the folded inner positions illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. The buoyancy of the pontoons 14 and 16 is such that the Waterline 74 will be below the wheel assemblies '70 when the pontoons 14 and 16 are in their outer upright positions'illustrated in FIG- URE 2 of the drawings.

The collapsible catamaran or pontoon boat 10 includes a retractible tongue assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 80. The tongue 80 includes the corresponding top plate 28' by means of a pivot pin 98 passed through an eye member 100 including ashank portion 102 journaled and secured through an apertured mounting ear 1M- welded to the corresponding top plate 23. A fastener 1% is utilized to secure the shank portion 102 through the apertured mounting lug 104 and the depending leg 108 of an end railing section 110 is also journaled from the shank portion 102 of the eye 100. The other depending leg 112 of the end'section 110 is pivotally supported from a second apertured mounting lug 114 by means of a suitable pivot pin 116; The front and rear ends of the railing sections 96 are mounted in a similar manner and it will be noted that the collapsible catamaran 10 also includes a pair of rear end railing sections 118- which are similar to the forward end sections The opposite ends of each railing section 96 and the corresponding end sections 110 and 118 include registrable apertured mounting lugs 120 and 122 which may be secured together by means of a locking pin 124 when the railing sections 96, 116 and 11.8 are disposed in the upright positions illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings. However, when it is desired to trail the catamaran Hit the railing sections 96, 110 and 118 may be pivoted to the collapsed positions illustrated in FIGURE 6 of the drawings and secured in the collapsed positions in any convenient means operable to hold down the railing sections $6; It will be noted that the opposite ends of the railing sections 96 are utilized to hold down the corresponding end sections 110 and 118 as they overlap these end sections.

In operation, when it is desired to trail the catamaran 1d, the pontoons 14 and 16 are pivoted to the positions illustrated in FIGURE 3'of the drawings by means of an elongated tow bar 82 which isswingably mounted from a the main deck section 26 by means of twopairs of arm members 84 and 36. The arms or arm members 84 and 86 parallel each other and thereby form, together with the main deck section 12 and the tow bar 82, a parallelogram linkage. The tow bar 82 is therefore mounted for swinging movement between an upper and rearwardly disposed position directly'underlying the main deck section 12 and a forward and lower position illustrated in phantom lines. in FIGURE 7 of the drawings.

Themain deck section 12 includes a forward transverse brace member 90 and the arm members 84 and 86 are engageable with the transverse brace member 9% to limit forward swinging movement of the lower ends of the arm members 84 and 86. and thereby the forwardmost movement of the towrbar 82. The forward end of the tow bar 82 is provided with a female coupling member 92 which is adapted for securement to a conventional ball hitch element; Further, the main deck section 12 includes releasable latch'means 94 which is'engageable' with'and operative to maintain the tow bar 32 in the retracted position illustrated in solid lines in FIGURE 7 of the drawings. 7

.With attention now invited to FIGURES 1, 6 and 9 of the drawings it maybe seen that eachof the pontoons 14 .and 16 includes a longitudinally extending railing section 96 which is pivotally secured at its lower end to the handwheel 54. Then, the tongue assembly is swung to the operative position illustrated in phantom lines in FIGURE 7 of the drawings and is operatively coupled to the towing vehicle.

After the catamaran 10 has been backed into the water, a pesron may board the catamaran 16 and release the detent assemblies d6 in order that the handwheel 54 may be rotated. Then,the handwheel 54 is rotated effecting swinging movement of the arm elements 32 and pivotal movement of the pontoons 14 and16 from the positions illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings to the positions illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. As the pontoons 14 and 16 move toward their fully extended positions, the lower surfaces of the extensions 30 will abut against the upper surface of the main deck section 12. If it is desired, suitable means such as bolts may be passed through the extensions 30"and'the underlying portions of the main deck section 12 to positively secure the pontoons 14 and 16 in their extended positions. Thereafter, the. railing sections 96may be released and swung to the operative positions illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings and the end sections and 118 may thereafter be swung to the operative positions and pinned to the railing sections 96 by means of the. pins 112. Thereafter, the tongue assembly 80 may be swung to and latched in the retracted position illustrated in solid lines 7 Of course, when it is desired to remove the catamaran 10 from the water and to trail the latter behind a towing vehicle the steps set forth immediately above are carried out in reverse order.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, his not desired to limit the invention to theexact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as'claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1.A'collapsible catamaran comprising a generally horizontally disposed combined mainframe and deck section,

a pair of generally parallel elongated pontoons extending along and pivotally secured to the opposite side marginal edge portions of said deck section for rotation about axes extending longitudinally of said deck section and positions between outer upright and extended positions and folded inner collapsed positions rotated approximately ninety degrees under said marginal edge portions, the axes of rotation of :said pontoons relative to said deck section being disposed adjacent the upper portions of the confronting sides of said pontoons when the latter are in their extended positions, and wheel means carried by said pontoons, mounted for rotation about upstanding axes, and including at least portions projecting outwardly of the remote sides of said pontoons when the latter are in their extended positions, said main deck section including an elongated retractible towing tongue mounted for movement between a retracted raised horizontal position closely underlying said main deck section and between said pontoons and a lowered position generally horizontally aligned with the lower surfaces of said pontoons when the latter are in their folded collapsed position.

2. The combination of claim 1 including reversible actuating means operatively connected between said deck section and said pontoons for positively selectively pivoting said pontoons between said inner and outer positions, said actuating means is operatively connected between said deck section and pontoons for simultaneous movement of said pontoons relative to said deck section.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said actuating means is supported from said deck section.

4. A collapsible catamaran comprising a generally horizontally disposed combined main frame and deck section, a pair of generally parallel elongated pontoons extending along and pivotally secured to the opposite side marginal edge portions of said deck section for rotation about axes extending longitudinally of said deck section and positions between outer upright positions and folded inner positions rotated approximately ninety degrees under said marginal edge portions, each of said pontoons including at least one upright when in the folded inner collapsed position Whose free upper end swings down and over said deck section when said pontoons are pivoted to their outer upright and extended positions, said free ends of said uprights and said deck section including coacting means for locking said pontoons in said extended positions.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said retractible towing tongue includes mounting means mounting said tongue from said deck section for simultaneously appreciably forwardly shifting said tongue When the latter is moved from said retracted position toward said lowered position.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said mounting means defines parallelogram linkage means operable to maintain said tongue in a substantially horizontally disposed position throughout its movement between said retracted position to said lowered position.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said mounting means supports said tongue for movement between said retracted position and said lowered position independently of pivotal movement of said pontoons relative to said main deck section.

8. The combination of claim 1 wherein each of said pontoons, when in the outer upright position, includes an upstanding longitudinally extending railing pivoted thereto at its lower marginal edge portion for rotation about a longitudinal axis and swinging movement to a collapsed horizontally disposed position overlying the upper surface of said pontoon.

9. The combination of claim 1 wherein each of said pontoons, when in the outer extended positions, includes an upstanding transversely extending forward railing pivotally secured thereto at its lower marginal edge portion for rotation about a transverse horizontal axis and swinging movement to a collapsed position overlying the upper surface of the corresponding pontoon disposed rearwardly of the correspnding transverse axis of rotation.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein each of said pontoons, when in the outer upright positions, includes an upstanding longitudinally extending railing pivotally secured thereto at its lower marginal edge portion for rotation about a longitudinal axis and inward swinging movement to a collapsed horizontally disposed position overlying the corresponding forward railing when it is in its collapsed position.

11. A collapsible catamaran comprising a generally horizontally disposed combined main frame and deck section, a pair of generally parallel elongated pontoons extending along and pivotally secured to the opposite side marginal edge portions of said deck section for rotation about axes extending longitudinally of said deck section and positions between outer upright and extended positions and folded inner collapsed positions rotated approximately ninety degrees under said marginal edge portions, and reversible actuating means operatively connected between said deck section and said pontoons for positively selectively pivoting said pontoons between said inner and outer positions, each of said pontoons including at least one upright when in the folded inner collapsed position whose free upper end swings down and over said deck section when said pontoons are pivoted to their outer upright and extended positions, said actuating means being supported from said deck section and including a pair of guided reaches of transversely extending and upwardly divergent elongated tension members extending between the first and second positions the corresponding free end portion of said uprights assume when said pontoons are disposed in the collapsed and extended positions, means securing portions of said elongated tension members to said corresponding free end portions, and means supported from said deck section and operatively drivingly connected to said tension members for moving said portions thereof along said reaches between the corresponding positions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,850,747 9/58 Bouchard 9-1 2,978,260 4/61 Hebeisen 280-491 X 3,025,537 3/62 Rasmussen 91 3,042,942 7/62 Howe 9-1 3,055,023 9/ 62 McCord 280-491 X 3,067,439 12/62 Brush 9-1 FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Primary Examiner. 

4. A COLLAPSIBLE CATAMARAN COMPRISING A GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED COMBINED MAIN FRAME AND DECK SECTION, A PAIR OF GENERALLY PARALLEL ELONGATED PONTOONS EXTENDING ALONG AND PIVOTALLY SECURED TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE MARGINAL EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID DECK SECTION FOR ROTATION ABOUT AXES EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID DECK SECTION AND POSITIONS BETWEEN OUTER UPRIGHT POSITIONS AND FOLDED INNER POSITIONS ROTATED APPROXIMATELY NINETY DEGREES UNDER SAID MARGINAL EDGE PORTIONS, EACH OF SAID PONTOONS INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE UPRIGHT WHEN IN THE FOLDED INNER COLLAPSED POSITION WHOSE FREE UPPER END SWINGS DOWN AND OVER SAID DECK SECTION WHEN SAID PONTOONS ARE PIVOTED TO THEIR OUTER UPRIGHT AND EXTENDED POSITIONS, SAID FREE ENDS OF SAID UPRIGHTS AND SAID DECK SECTION INCLUDING COACTING MEANS FOR LOCKING SAID PONTOONS IN SAID EXTENDED POSITIONS. 